"By the
way, his companion lies dead at Hart's Tavern. He was shot from his
horse at the cross-roads."
"God bless me soul," gasped O'Dowd. "The chauffeur didn't mention a
second one. And were there two of them?"
"And both of them dead?" cried De Soto. "At the cross-roads? My dear
sir, how can you reconcile--" He broke off with a gesture of
impatience.
"I'll admit it's a bit out of reason," said Barnes. "The second man
could only have been shot by some one who was lying in wait for him."
"Why, the thing's as clear as day," cried O'Dowd, facing the crowd.
His cheerful, sprightly face was alive with excitement. "They were not
trying to rob any one. They were either trying to get across the
border into Canada themselves or else trying to head some one off who
was coming from that side of the line."
"Gad, you may be right," agreed Barnes instantly. "If you'd like to
hear more of the story I'll be happy to relate all that we know at
present."
While the coroner and the others were loading the body of Albert Roon
into a farm wagon for conveyance to the county-seat, Barnes, who had
taken a sudden fancy to the two men from Green Fancy, gave them a
brief but full account of the tragedy and the result of investigations
as far as they had gone.
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